Old Hotel to hold benefit auction Saturday

OTHELLO – Othello’s Old Hotel Art Gallery will be hosting its annual benefit auction Saturday starting at 5:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Parish Hall, located at 616 E. Juniper St.

“It's actually our largest fundraiser, our largest source of income for the year.” Copas said. “As a nonprofit, it's really important to us, and it's a silent auction and a live auction … There’s a buffet, there's going to be local wines and beer.”

General admission is $20, senior admission is $18. No one under 21 years of age is permitted at the event. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. along with a buffet, the silent auction begins at 6:00 p.m. and the live auction starts at 7:30 p.m.

Copas said they received donations of wine for the event from Cascade Cellars in Moses Lake and from Gård Vintners, which has a presence in local viticultural areas such as the Columbia Valley, Royal Slope and Wahluke regions.

Since this is Copas’s first auction as the Old Hotel’s director, she said she is keeping the event pretty much the same as in years past, focusing on the auction.

“I think any changes will come in future years,” Copas said. “As of right now … every year we have a new theme and new items for auction.”

Copas said this year’s theme is titled “Columbia Basin Cornucopia,” which she said is a fall-related theme focusing on food and agriculture in the Columbia Basin.

Copas emphasized how important the fundraiser is for the art gallery.

“It's our largest source of income. I think without the auction and the money that we make from the auction, there probably wouldn't be an Old Hotel,” Copas said.

Programs the Old Hotel has started up again, such as children’s art classes, and activities they plan to offer in the future have put some additional pressure on the organization for funding, Copas said.

“We're doing okay,” Copas said. “We're not panicking right now, I guess you could say. We're not in danger of going under any time soon, but you know, we can always do better, and I'm trying to do better.”

The Old Hotel did fairly well at last year’s fundraiser, Copas said, and she is hoping to raise about the same as they did in 2022, which was approximately $25,000.

There are more than 20 items up for the live auction and more than 25 items up for the silent auction. According to an email from the Old Hotel, items include gift certificates, artwork, food, event tickets, gift baskets and other miscellaneous items. More than 35 organizations and individuals donated items to the auction.

Items up for auction include a basketball autographed by Gonzaga’s men's basketball team, a community concert season pass, Tri-City Americans game tickets, two pies and a dozen rolls from Othello’s Cowpath Bakery, a Lighthouse Cafe gift basket and many more items and experiences from local organizations. Classic Grilln’, which is set to open in the near future in an attachment to the Old Hotel building, will be auctioning off a BBQ meal for 20 people, and October’s Artist of the Month Larry Brady also donated some of his artwork to the auction.

“A lot goes into this auction,” Copas said. “And so as soon as the auction is over, we start planning for the next one.”

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.